Latest Articles
Research ArticleIn Vivo Competitions between Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, and Ruminoccus albus in a Gnotobiotic Sheep Model Revealed by Multi-Omic AnalysesRuminant animals, including cattle and sheep, depend on their rumen microbiota to digest plant biomass and convert it into absorbable energy. Considering that the extent of meat and milk production depends on the efficiency of the microbiota to deconstruct plant cell walls, the functionality of predominant rumen cellulolytic bacteria, Fibrobacter succinogenes,...
- Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceAnode Surface Bioaugmentation Enhances Deterministic Biofilm Assembly in Microbial Fuel Cells
Mixed microbial communities play important roles in treating wastewater, in producing renewable energy, and in the bioremediation of pollutants in contaminated environments. While these processes are well known, especially the community structure and biodiversity, how to efficiently and robustly manage microbial community assembly remains unknown.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyChitosan and Chitin Deacetylase Activity Are Necessary for Development and Virulence of Ustilago maydisThe basidiomycete Ustilago maydis causes smut disease in maize, causing substantial losses in world corn production. This nonobligate pathogen penetrates the plant cell wall with the help of appressoria and then establishes an extensive biotrophic interaction, where the hyphae are tightly encased by the plant plasma membrane.
MinireviewThe Principles of Antibody Therapy for Infectious Diseases with Relevance for COVID-19Antibody therapies such as convalescent plasma and monoclonal antibodies have emerged as major potential therapeutics for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Immunoglobulins differ from conventional antimicrobial agents in that they mediate direct and indirect antimicrobial effects that work in concert with other components of the immune system.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyROP16-Mediated Activation of STAT6 Suppresses Host Cell Reactive Oxygen Species Production, Facilitating Type III Toxoplasma gondii Growth and SurvivalToxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that infects up to one-third of the world’s population. Control of the parasite is largely accomplished by IFN-γ-dependent mechanisms that stimulate innate and adaptive immune responses.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMycobacterium tuberculosis Toxin CpnT Is an ESX-5 Substrate and Requires Three Type VII Secretion Systems for Intracellular SecretionCpnT, a NAD+ glycohydrolase, is the only known toxin that is secreted by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. CpnT is composed of two domains; the C-terminal domain is the toxin, whereas the N-terminal domain is required for secretion.
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyA Mycobacterial Systems Resource for the Research CommunityDiseases caused by mycobacterial species result in millions of deaths per year globally, and present a substantial health and economic burden, especially in immunocompromised patients. Difficulties inherent in working with mycobacterial pathogens have hampered the development and application of high-throughput genetics that can inform genome annotations and subsequent functional assays.
Editor's Pick Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyEvolutionary Dynamics Based on Comparative Genomics of Pathogenic Escherichia coli Lineages Harboring Polyketide Synthase (pks) IslandExtraintestinal pathologies caused by highly virulent strains of E. coli amount to clinical implications with high morbidity and mortality rates. Pathogenic E. coli strains are evolving with the horizontal acquisition of mobile genetic elements, including pathogenicity islands such as the pks...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyElucidating the Antiviral Mechanism of Different MARCH FactorsThis study examines the mechanism utilized by different MARCH proteins to restrict retrovirus infection. MARCH proteins block the incorporation of envelope glycoproteins to the budding virions.
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyTwo Distinct Conformations in 34 FliF Subunits Generate Three Different Symmetries within the Flagellar MS-RingThe bacterial flagellum is a motility organelle formed by tens of thousands of protein molecules. At the earliest stage of flagellar assembly, a transmembrane protein, FliF, forms the MS-ring in the cytoplasmic membrane as the base for flagellar assembly.